


What you can and cannot do

by Melime



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: 5+1 Things, Drabble Collection, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 19:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6869599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>5 times Rodney saved the day and 1 time he didn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What you can and cannot do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RachaelJurassic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelJurassic/gifts).
  * Translation into Português brasileiro available: [O que você consegue e não consegue fazer](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6869608) by [Melime GreenLeaf (Melime)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime%20GreenLeaf)



> Prompt sent by RachaelJurassic (a long time ago). I did something a bit different from my usual with this one, alternating no dialog and dialog only and ending with the normal mix, plus it's a drabble collection.

1.

There wasn’t enough time, panicked voices kept reminding him that he clock was ticking and that precious seconds were being wasted. “Shut up! Just shut up and let me think!” he finally yelled. Zelenka stopped explaining his plan that would be brilliant, if only they had the five extra minutes needed to execute it, Sheppard stopped yelling at him, Elizabeth stopped rushing him, minions quieted. Rodney just stared at the screen in silence, and then it hit him, a solution so elegant and simple that he typed it with a smile, and the self-destruct aborted with only seconds to spare.

2.

“We are flying into a sun!”

“I’m well aware of that, no need to remind me!”

“Then give me back control of the jumper!”

“I’m trying! I don’t even know what’s wrong yet!”

“Then figure it out!”

“I’m trying! Just give me a couple minutes!”

“We don’t have a couple minutes!”

“I know! I was the only who told you that!”

“McKay…”

“John, perhaps it would be wise to allow Rodney to concentrate.”

“He works better under pressure.”

“The heat of that sun is pressure enough!”

“Doesn’t seem like it!”

“Well, it–Done! Sheppard, get us out of here now!”

3.

Rodney pulled his hand from the console, wiggling his zapped fingers to recover sensation in them. He didn’t have the time to worry about being electrocuted, the ZPM would explode soon unless he managed to reroute this console. Zelenka yelled that he was done with his end, and that they were almost out of time. Rodney shoved his hand in the console and ripped out the last cable, forcing the energy to go through the patch they made, but feeling what remained in the cable flow through this body. He would be sore tomorrow, but at least they would live.

4.

“Three minutes.”

“I know.”

“It’s not enough time to evacuate.”

“I know, I know.”

“Maybe we can load the bomb in the jumper, I could release it in the atmosphere.”

“Oh shut up, it would take me five minutes to disable the failsafe to move it.”

“Then do something!”

“That’s a brilliant idea, I was thinking of staring at the bomb until it explodes!”

“Not the time!”

“Then stop saying stupid things!”

“Just do something!”

“Oh for crying…!”

“...did you just rip all the wires?”

“...yes?”

“How are we not dead?”

“No idea, but it worked, so I’m taking credit.”

5.

Rodney stared at his computer screen, glad for having caught that bug before it caused any problems. Alright, maybe Zelenka was the one who first spotted the bug and mentioned it to Rodney, but Rodney was the one who wrote the patch, so to him it was obvious that he should take all the credit. He would be sure to mention that he had just saved all their lives in the next senior staff meeting. Sure, nothing bad had happened, but he would be dammed if he was going to waste an opportunity to boost about saving everyone’s lives again.

+1

“I can do this!” Rodney said, looking anxiously at the timer.

“The Daedalus is in orbit, could they survive the blast?”

“There won’t be any blast, it’s me, impossible takes minutes!”

“We don’t have minutes. Rodney,” John placed a hand on Rodney’s arm, “are you sure?”

Rodney stared at his eyes. “We need this outpost.”

John sighed. “Work, I’ll radio the Daedalus to stay clear.”

“You should go.”

“I won’t leave you here.”

Rodney looked at the screen and his own shaky hands. “John, I… I’m sorry.”

John nodded, understanding, and squeezed Rodney’s hand. “Daedalus, get us out of here.”

**Author's Note:**

> My initial idea was to end this by destroying Atlantis with everyone in it, but that seemed to evil, then I thought of destroying Atlantis but allowing everyone to escape, and that somehow seemed worse, so Rodney just failed an outpost, which is kinda cheating the "didn't save the day" but let's assume it could do something like wipe out all the Wraith instantaneously.


End file.
